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Visitors give Hong Kong food carnival at Victoria Park thumbs down, citing heat and poor sampling choices

  • At least 10 visitors of festival showcasing mainland food cultures say they spent less than HK$500
  • A number complained that they could not sample products at some of carnival’s 220 booths

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Crowds at the “Hometown Market” food carnival at Victoria Park. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Ezra Cheung

A five-day food festival has kicked off at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park for a second consecutive year, but visitors have given it poor initial reviews, blaming a lack of sampling choices – and the hot weather – for their reluctance to spend.

At least 10 guests who visited “Hometown Market”, a festival showcasing different food cultures of mainland China, said they had spent less than HK$500 (US$64), while two told the Post they could not sample products at booths so would not part with a cent.

“I wanted to try some red wine from Ningxia, but [the staff] said they had no samples. I didn’t get to taste it, nor even sniff it. How will that convince me to buy it? It’s ridiculous,” complained Keen Tsoi, a 67-year-old security guard who attended the carnival with his wife on Sunday.

Housewife Josephine Tse, 38, left the carnival with her six-year-old son Kenji after buying two skewers of toffeed strawberries.

“The weather is just way too hot and steamy,” Tse said. “My son is drenched in sweat even under an umbrella.”

The Hong Kong Observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius over the day, with the low at 26 degrees.

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